Sparkles and smalls: Dita Von Teese and Pippa Small tell men how to pick, perfectly

Dita Von Teese and Pippa Small on how to shop lingerie and jewellery for your beloved this Christmas.

BY Phong Luu |
05 December 2012

Dita Von Teese and Pippa Small

DITA VON TEESE ON LINGERIE
"I used to sell underwear a lot to men. Some were embarrassed. Others were direct about it." For the embarrassed or clueless, Gents, let Dita Von Teese be your guide. She's an expert - and not just because her work wardrobe consists of bras and briefs. Von Teese got her first Saturday job working in a lingerie boutique when she was 15 and admits that if it wasn't for burlesque, she'd be "opening her own store" by now. The next best thing? Her own lingerie range, Von Follies, which has just launched at
stylebop.com
(pictured above, Dita in bra, £32, and briefs, £20).

"The biggest mistake men make is buying something that makes a woman feel uncomfortable," she says. "My dream would be for a man to bring in his partner's favourite bra and panty and let me see what she likes to wear. Men get too hung up on what they would like their partner to wear.

"Black lace looks good on everyone and works for all seasons. It's sexy and seductive, as well as elegant and sophisticated. Red is hard to get right - it depends on the quality of the fabric - but it can be chic," says Von Teese, who rates French labels Fifi Chachnil and Chantal Thomass.

"I think the men in my life have never dared buy me underwear - I've had a lingerie wardrobe since I was 15. And, anyway, they've always been pretty impressed with my selection."
Phong Luu

PIPPA SMALL ON JEWELLERY
So what does the Christmas-challenged male buy his beloved to make her happy? Jewellery, obviously, but what kind? "Usually the wrong kind," says Pippa Small (pictured above right). "Men seem to find it hard second-guessing their partner's taste."

Small, who has just opened a store at 226 Westbourne Grove, London W11 (
pippasmall.com
), is famous for her painterly colours and rose-cut and rough-cut stones, mixing diamonds with moonstones, rubies with labradorite. She's arguably done more to popularise semi-precious stones than anyone since Coco Chanel: everything she does looks desirable and individual, even if she is ripped off by others. Buying the "wrong" piece at Small's isn't a disaster. Recipients are welcome to exchange their miscast gifts, or have them altered. "The whole point about jewellery is that it should be very personal. It has to be absolutely right for you."

Some of her most loyal customers have even been known to ask Small to redesign pieces that were once perfect but are no longer appropriate. Engagement rings become pendants or bracelets once the divorce comes through. Why waste a gorgeous gem? Jewellery - it really isn't just for Christmas.
Lisa Armstrong